PRINCETON-BY-THE-SEA — The Bay Area’s three fishing harbors were in a state of suspended animation Thursday evening as fishermen absorbed the news that the ban on fishing in the oil spill zone had been lifted two days early.

As darkness descended on San Francisco, Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay following the 3:30 p.m. announcement from the California Department of Fish and Game, crab fishermen did not run to load their boats up with crab pots.

In a further example of solidarity engendered by necessity, crabbers at all three harbors began discussing a day and time when they might all set out together — a “fair start” to a crab season they lost control of two weeks ago.

Laboratory test results on the flesh of Dungeness crab, rock crab, surf perch, herring and mussels indicated that, with two exceptions, the sea life within the oil spill zone was free of cancer-causing PAH’s (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and safe to eat, according to Dr. Joan Denton, director of the California Office of Environmental Health Hazards Assessment.

The Department of Fish and Game delineated a no-catch zone stretching to three miles outside San Francisco Bay on Nov. 15, the opening day of Dungeness crab season, in areas thought to be affected by the Cosco Busan oil spill. The location of the no-catch zone gave fishermen in Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay the opportunity to catch crab farther out at sea, but they decided to tie up their boats until the state could prove that all crab — both inside and outside the oil zone — was fit for consumption.

Public health officials ultimately tested fish, crab and mussels in 23 areas inside and outside the boundaries of the affected area. Thursday, officials announced that commercial oyster facilities will remain closed in the no-fishing area.

The OEHHA also cautioned against eating mussels harvested from two locations, Berkeley Pier and Rodeo Beach, since they showed elevated levels of contamination. Since the information about the mussels is a public health advisory only, fishing in those areas will not be monitored or enforced, according to the Department of Fish and Game.

Fish and Game Interim Director John McCamman added a warning of his own, asking fishermen to avoid residual, floating pockets of bunker fuel that may remain on the ocean’s surface for several weeks.

He also urged crab lovers to use “common sense.”

“If it looks like oil and smells like oil and tastes like oil, you don’t want to eat it,” he said.

Crabbers were not in a rush to leave harbor and set their gear on Thursday night, regardless of the good news. Winds were picking up at nightfall and due to climb to 25 knots through Friday, making seagoing difficult.

“We’re pleased that the crabs are clean, and whenever it’s good for everybody to go, we will go,” said Larry Collins, president of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association.

There “might be a window” Saturday when the winds die down, just enough time for fishermen to catch a few local crab and take them to market. But a major storm is forecast for Sunday through Tuesday at least, and it is likely to keep boats in their slips, said Collins.

Some fishermen greeted Thursday’s news with a shrug, pointing to money they lost in the first two weeks of the crab season — for many fishermen, normally the most profitable two weeks of the year.

“There’s no particular reason to hurry, now that we’ve already lost our market,” said Pillar Point fisherman Duncan MacLean, who estimated that he could have lost as much as $20,000 — or 30 percent — of his revenue for the season.

Losing the start of the Dungeness season also means Bay Area fishermen will have to accept a much lower per-pound price for their product from buyers once the season opens on Dec. 1 north of Point Arena. Before the Cosco Busan crisis, local fishermen were negotiating a selling price of $3.25 per pound, said MacLean. Now, the law of supply and demand made it more likely they would be selling their crabs for $2.15 per pound or less, said MacLean.

The experience left him feeling frustrated, a sentiment shared by many. Seeking redress, MacLean, head of the Half Moon Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association, is a plaintiff in one of four class-action lawsuits circulating among fishermen at Pillar Point alone.

When fishermen do head out, Joe Alioto will be waiting for them. The owner of Alioto’s Restaurant and crab stand at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco said crab sales were down 50 percent this year, the lowest return in the restaurant’s 80 years of business.

Alioto’s has been selling Dungeness crab caught in the entirely oil-free waters off Washington state, but locals and tourists alike have been staying away.

“It’s perfect timing,” he enthused. “It’s the weekend, and we’ve been getting calls on our phone from people asking us: ‘Any crabs yet?'”

Violent police encounters in California last year led to the deaths of 157 people and six officers, the state attorney general’s office said Thursday in a report that provides the first statewide tally on police use-of-force incidents.

At 6:03 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to reports of the robbery at the facility, 2301 Bancroft way, and learned that a man who snuck into the facility and began prowling through the building, taking cell phones and wallets from victims.

Investigators’ efforts to solve the case led to the arrests of Pablo Mendoza, 25, of Hayward, Brandon Follings, 26, of Oakland and Valeria Boden, 26, of Alameda, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.